Bishop-elect prays that life will be protected

A Dublin-born theologian, named yesterday by Pope Benedict as the next Bishop of Limerick, said he prayed at “this delicate time” that politicians would be inspired to know how best to protect the lives of mothers and their unborn children.

Fr Brendan Leahy will be ordained bishop in the spring.

He replaces Bishop Donal Murray, who resigned in Dec 2009 after publication of the Murphy commission report into child sex abuse in Dublin archdiocese.